Strange Bedfellows
by meridian-rose
Summary: Nolan's short term memory kicked back in. Right, this was not a date gone badly. He could honestly say a date, no matter how awful, had never ended with him almost drowning after being run off the road. (For the trope-bingo prompt 'huddle for warmth' and hc-bingo amnesty (small fandom challenge) prompt 'cuddling for warmth')


_My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. There is no other shelter hereabouts. Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. – "The Tempest", Shakespeare_

"Ross!"

He didn't want to wake up but being shaken would do that to a person. As would the slap that followed.

"Nolan!"

Nolan blinked and opened his eyes. God, it was cold. Aiden hovered above him, eyes worried. "Nolan. Talk to me."

Nolan coughed, fetching up water. His short term memory kicked back in. Right, this was not a date gone badly. He could honestly say a date, no matter how awful, had never ended with him almost drowning after being run off the road.

Aiden had come to him earlier that day with some story about a lead that he needed to follow, and it would probably help Emily's revegenda, and he needed Nolan's help, and blah blah, spy stuff. Nolan had dutifully gone along with the plan, which involved driving out to a remote facility far from the civilisation of the Hamptons.

They'd got into the facility with ease. Nolan had downloaded the intel – and did Aiden appreciate the way he'd hacked through all those levels of security, did he hell – and then they'd headed home.

It was dark and the roads were slick with ice, snow covered trees lining the narrow, unlit track – highway was too grand a term for this mountain trail. Still, Nolan wasn't too worried until the black SUV came speeding up behind them.

Aiden had little room to manoeuvre and though he tried to outrun their pursuer, the road conditions were against them. At some point they'd been hit and their vehicle had plunged down the steep embankment, through the trees – how they'd not hit a trunk head on, Nolan would never know – and onto the snowy plateau below. The car had slid into an icy lake and Nolan had fumbled with his seat belt as the water began to rise, certain he was going to die.

After that, he didn't know – did he fall into the water? Hit the back of his head? He couldn't be sure. Next thing he did know he was on his back, staring at the dark sky.

"You all right?"

"Everything hurts," Nolan mumbled. He swallowed, his throat raw and lungs burning. "You're bleeding," he added.

Aiden touched a knuckle to the cut by his eyebrow. "It's nothing."

Nolan blinked and tried to sit up, winced, and stayed still. "You saved me?"

"I jumped out before the car hit the water," Aiden said, pressing his fingers into Nolan's shoulders and neck as if he knew what he was doing. Nolan guessed basic medical training had been part of the Revenge Training Package. "I had to wade in to pull you out. Hold still." He ran his fingers over Nolan's chest, sending fresh sparks of pain through Nolan's ribs. Nolan yelped and Aiden frowned. "Sorry. I know it hurts. I think it's just bruising, but I can't be sure."

Aiden's hands moved lower. Nolan gave a wry smile. "I didn't know I was your type."

"Your sense of humour's not damaged then," Aiden said. "Such as it is."

"Ouch," Nolan said, protesting at the insult rather than Aiden's ministrations. Aiden insisted on squeezing at Nolan's arms and legs too. One wrist was a little sore, but all his fingers were working. Aiden sat back on his heels. "I don't think you're badly injured."

There was still plenty of pain though, and now the cold was making itself felt. Nolan shivered. Aiden shook his head. "Let's get some of those clothes off before you freeze to death."

Aiden's jeans were soaked, but he'd discarded his jacket nearby before plunging into the water, and while his arms were wet to the elbow from dragging Nolan to safety, his short-sleeved black t-shirt was mostly dry. Nolan stripped off his own jacket, biting his lip against the pain – bruised shoulders, as well as ribs, what he wouldn't give for a hot bath – followed by his wet striped shirt and sodden dark t-shirt. Aiden gave him the dry leather jacket and Nolan zipped it up against the icy wind.

"What now, Mr Bond?" Nolan asked.

Aiden stared at the cliff. "It's a bit dangerous to go climbing up there without a torch – sorry, _flashlight_ – I mean, even if we did make it, in the dark, with your bruised ribs, we'd be out on that desolate road with no shelter and, potentially, with whoever ran us off the road waiting to finish the job."

"So we stay here?" Nolan spotted the car, which had tipped to one side and was mostly submerged. "Do you have a gun?" The thought that someone might want to finish the job was an unsettling one.

"Yes." Aiden put one hand to the small of his back. "Thankfully it didn't get wet. My phone was on the dashboard though. No calling the cavalry." He ran one hand over his tousled hair. "I think the best thing is to stay here until morning. I'll go get some firewood before we both die of hypothermia."

While Aiden went off to play boy scout, Nolan picked up his sodden jacket and found his phone. As expected, it was useless, full of lake water. No way to call for backup. Just him and Mathis, stranded in what might as well be the North Pole. Fantastic.

A search of Aiden's coat pockets revealed a lighter, which surprised Nolan at first – he'd never seen the Brit smoke. Then he realised how glad he was to have the lighter, lest Aiden's camping skills weren't up to scratch, and how useful a tool it could be.

He also found a small knife and some loose change. The inside pocket probably had a wallet, but Nolan had snooped enough, and besides, Aiden was on his way back with an armful of wood.

Nolan was content to let Aiden make the fire, though he did produce the lighter at an opportune moment. "You sure this wood will burn?"

"I found the driest stuff, hidden by the upper branches." Aiden took off his t-shirt and the vest beneath it. He tore the vest into strips to use as kindling before slipping the t-shirt back on.

When the fire was finally going, Aiden waded back out to the half-drowned car to see if he could salvage anything useful. He returned with two energy bars, a hip flask, and an emergency blanket. Apparently the glove box was well stocked.

Nolan's fingers trembled as he tore open the wrapper. The outside was damp but the chewy bar inside was fine and he needed the sugar burn. When he'd finished eating the other bar, Aiden took a swig from the hip flask and passed it to Nolan. The brandy burned Nolan's lips and throat, but it made a welcome pool of warmth in his stomach.

Aiden shook the foil blanket from its pouch and offered it to Nolan. "You need this more than me."

Nolan demurred. "You're British, not Canadian or Swedish or whatever. You expect me to believe you can sit there without a coat on and not turn into a popsicle?" It was ironic, in a way, that he'd been wearing more layers than Aiden and yet now they were both bereft of warm, dry, clothes.

Aiden shrugged. "There's a way we could both keep warm."

He raised an eyebrow. "Brokeback Mountain?"

"Just keep your hands above the waist," Aiden said as he laid the blanket close to the fire. That it was his only protest made Nolan think Aiden was either feeling guilty about their predicament, worried about their situation more than he was letting on, or some combination of both.

"I don't want to hurt your ribs, so it's probably better if you hold onto me." Aiden lifted his shirt and settled himself on the blanket.

Nolan unzipped the jacket and slipped off one sleeve. It wouldn't be much of a blanket over them both, but it was the best they had. After a lot of fidgeting and a few cross words, and probably some more bruising being inflicted on both men, Nolan was pressed against Aiden, one arm over his chest. His other hand he tucked up between Aiden's t-shirt and his back, and the warmth was welcome despite the fact it made his wrist throb.

Aiden was clutching the other sleeve, keeping the jacket pressed over them. Their legs were still cold, boots sodden, but at least Nolan had stopped shivering. Under other circumstances it might have been cosy. He and Aiden had their ups and downs but he didn't hate Aiden. Emily loved him, so he must have some good qualities.

"Nolan?"

"What?"

"Just making sure you're all right. I'm not used to you being silent."

"Are you saying I talk too much?"

Aiden laughed. "Not too much. Just, well, a lot."

Nolan squeezed him gently. He didn't dare move his fingers any higher or lower, though some part of him couldn't help thinking about running a finger or thumb over a nipple, or letting his palm rest low on Aiden's belly. Maybe he should have insisted on having his turn at playing doctor earlier.

Maybe he was just delusional from the cold.

"Emily would kill me if anything happened to you," Aiden said, utterly serious.

"Anything like, for example, being run off the road and nearly drowning?" He kept his tone innocent.

"I mean it. She cares about you. If I let you get killed…"

Nolan pressed his forehead – something that didn't hurt at all, and he was thankful for small mercies – into Aiden's hair. "It wasn't your fault."

"Emily wouldn't see it that way."

Probably not.

"Nolan! Aiden!"

For a moment Nolan thought all their talk of Emily was making him have hypothermia induced hallucinations.

"Nolan!" That was either a very persistent hallucination or the Wonder Woman herself. He closed his eyes in relief.

"Here," Aiden called. "Emily!"

A few minutes later Emily staggered into view, holding a giant flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other.

"How did you find us?" Nolan asked incredulously. She was dressed in a heavy woollen coat, a hat, boots, and a scarf, all dark colours and not particularly flattering, yet she'd never looked more angelic.

"I'll explain later," she said. "Are you all right?"

Now she was here, absolutely. Despite his protests, Emily draped her coat around Nolan's shoulders, her face crumpling at seeing the bruising on his torso. She was wearing a heavy sweater and probably another couple of layers underneath that, being sensibly dressed for the weather.

It was a difficult climb to Emily's car, and he needed both Emily and Aiden's assistance a few times, but they made it to the road long before dawn. Emily's car was the only vehicle in sight. It seemed they were lucky and their attackers had left the scene.

Nolan slid into the back of the car while Emily cranked up the heat and Aiden adjusted the passenger seat. Nolan kicked off his wet footwear and curled up under the coat. It smelled of Emily's perfume and he closed his eyes, feeling safe and content.

He was asleep before they'd gone two miles.


End file.
